Digital photography has grown steadily since its introduction. Social networks and mobile computing devices have further accelerated the growth of photographic data made available to the public. The ability to take and share photographs anytime and anywhere has resulted in the general public consuming more photographic data than ever and relying on these photographs for up to the minute information. However, it is a well-known fact that digital photographs are easily edited and the information contained within a digital photograph may not be entirely trustworthy.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,300,678, entitled “Systems and methods for authenticating photographic image data,” which issued Mar. 29, 2016, the contents of which is incorporated by reference herein its entirety, discloses, in part, a software application that resides on a client device (e.g., a smart phone or other client device) for controlling various aspects of photography on the client device where authentication of photos is desired, an authentication server for receiving a photo and associated data therefrom and creating an authenticated photo and a website for storing the authenticated photos and which enables users who subsequently receive a copy of the photo to determine if it is an authentic photo. Collectively, the image authentication application and authentication server are configured to be operable to control the taking of photos to be authenticated and the association of metadata with those photos. The image authentication application may require users, desiring to generate an authenticated photo, to invoke the image authentication application to take a picture. The image authentication application and authentication server include functionality to reduce the likelihood of alteration of metadata associated with a picture taken under control of the application.
Once a picture is taken under control of the image authentication application, it is sent from the image authentication application to the authentication server. The image authentication application may prevent a photo that has been taken from being edited or sent from the image authentication application to any location other than the authentication server. This helps prevent alteration of the photo.
To take a picture the user may be required to open the image authentication application (if it is not already open on the device). After taking a picture using the image authentication application and selecting to use the photo, the image will be transmitted to the authentication server along with various metadata, such as geographic information, e.g., the user's current latitude/longitude, time data if desired and/or other metadata.
According to one aspect, the time at which the image is received by the server is recorded. This helps prevent alteration of the time metadata associated with the photo. In various prior approaches to photo authentication, the time data is generated solely by the client device. A problem with these prior approaches is that users can alter the system time of the client device.
In certain embodiments, the application may include a feature to ensure that the time delay between opening the application and/or taking a photo in the image authentication application and sending the image to the authentication server is within an approved time frame. Similarly, the image authentication application may include a feature to ensure that the location at which a photograph was taken is within an approved distance limitation from the location from which the user transmits the photograph to the authentication server.
According to another aspect, the authentication server performs various steps to facilitate authentication of photos received from the application. When a photo is received, the authentication server may assign it a unique resource locator (e.g., a unique web address). The authenticated image (or a version of the authenticated image), and associated metadata, is stored on the authentication server. The unique resource locator (e.g., a web address or a web address proxy such as a bitly code or a tinyURL) may be provided along with the authenticated image for third party verification of the image. The website (and/or other distribution infrastructure) will allow third parties to check and reference the authenticated image to verify that it is authentic. The authentication server may host and/or be in communication with the website. Any third party can visit the authentication server website to look up the authenticated image they have been provided and to make sure that the picture they are viewing is also on the website. This insures that the image provided to the third party viewer has, in fact, been authenticated by the authentication server.
This approach has many advantages. However, it may present certain challenges when the user does not have a strong data connection at the time a picture is captured. It may also be less than desirable if the user must transmit a large file (e.g., a video file) over cellular network, particularly when the data rate is relatively expensive. Other network issues may also present challenges.